. >> reporter: sell cratic leader harry reid said the gulf over taxes was still too wide. and he signaled the white house might be tying his hands. >> i've had a number of conversations with the president. and this stage we're not able to make the counteroffer. >> reporter: so senator mcconnell called the vice president who he served with in the senate for 24 years. the two men spoke several times on sunday. >> i want em to know i'm willing to get this done. but i need a dance partner. >> reporter: democrats want to let the bush era tax cuts expire for household income over $250,000 a year. republican was rather set the cuttoff at around half a million dollars or keep the tax cuts in place for everyone. in an interview on nbc's meet the press president obama said the endless wrangling was not the democrat's fault. >> we have been talking to the republicans ever since the election was over. they have had trouble saying yes to a number of repeated offers. >> at midday democrats suddenly declared that one element of the republican offer was a deal breaker. a proposal to chang